Zoe Saldaña is stepping behind the camera for a short film about Palestinian womanhood. The Oscar-winning actress has joined It's Complicated as an executive producer ahead of its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, set for August.
The film is written, produced by, and starring Iman Karram. It follows Yara, a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles whose online Arabic lessons with Hana, a poet and teacher living in Gaza, develop into a close friendship. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot synopsis describes how "when war suddenly tears them apart, Yara must confront grief, diasporic guilt, and the responsibility of using her voice to ensure Hana's story is not forgotten."
The film is directed by Darine Hotait and produced by Karram alongside Alana Duqum, Zoe Marie Jimenez, and Matt Van Tine. Kais Karram and Zane Karram of Malibu Mutt Studios are also among the producing team. Eli Zavala of Splinter Pictures serves as an additional executive producer.
Saldaña, who won an Oscar in 2025 for her performance in Emilia Perez, explained her decision to attach herself to the project. "Iman has made a deeply personal film about identity, grief, sisterhood, and the responsibility artists feel to carry the stories of their communities forward," she said. "I was moved by the tenderness of the relationship at the center of the film and by Iman's commitment to telling a story rooted in Palestinian womanhood with honesty, humor, and heart. I'm proud to support her voice and the team behind It's Complicated as the film begins its festival journey."
Karram described the origins of the story in personal terms. She said the project is "deeply personal" and that it "was inspired by a real relationship with my Arabic tutor that profoundly reshaped my understanding of identity and how I want to use my voice as an artist." She also addressed what it felt like growing up in the diaspora, saying it "can sometimes feel like you are disconnected from your roots, or even like an imposter within your own community."
Karram continued: "What began as online Arabic lessons with Hana grew into a friendship and a Palestinian sisterhood that made me feel truly seen from the other side of the world. She welcomed me into a culture I didn't grow up experiencing firsthand, but one that has always been an integral part of who I am. She made me feel enough, exactly as I am, and gave me the courage to embrace my voice, stand in my values, and tell the stories that are important to me."
It's Complicated will have its world premiere at the 22nd HollyShorts Film Festival, which runs August 13 through 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. The festival is Oscar-qualifying and will showcase more than 400 short films from around the world.
